Driving mechanism.



F. MULLER.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. 23. I91].

1 ,273,903. Patented July 30, 1918.

3 5HEETSSHEET l.

'M/VENTOR FMW M 40% A ORNEY F, MULLER.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

' Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. 19H.

F. MULLER.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATlON FILED OCT. 23. 1917- Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFIucE.

FRIEDERICH MCLLER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PRATT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION OF N EW JERSE & WHITNEY Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 30, 1918 Original application filed October 23, 1917, Serial No. 198,185. Divided and this application filed October 23,

1917. Serial No. 198,058.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDERICH MiiLLER, a citizen -of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a driving mechanism which is primarily adapted for operating different parts'of a machine, such for instance as a metal working machine.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved driving mechanism whereby two separate parts of a machine may be driven alternately and independently of each other, each part upon completing its series of movements serving automatically to stop itself and to start the operation of thc'lother part.

This application constitutes a division of my copending application for tap making machines, filed February 8th, 1911, Serial No. 607,420 and renewed on-October 23rd, 1917 as Serial No. 198,185. Theconstruction as her'ein presented is peculiarly adapted for use in connect-ion with a machine such as that shown in the aforesaid application, but it will be understood, as above stated,

that as concerns many of its features the mechanism is equally well adapted for other machines.

Of the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a metal working machine having a driving mechanism embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, on-an enlarged scale, taken along the line 33 of Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, on the same scale as Fig. 3, taken along-theline 44 of Fi 2.

The machine which is partly illustrated is the same as that set forth in my aforesaid copending application and is particularly adapted for the milling of thread convolutions on blanks to form taps. The machine is provided with achuck 1 which serves to hold and rotate the tap blank, the chuck itself being carried by a rotatable spindle 2 mounted in suitable bearings 3.

,frame. This shaft is The milling cutter is shown at 4 and this is adapted'to be bodily moved relatively to the blank during cutting, these movementsbe operated alternately in succession, the

mechanism for supplying the blanks and for opening and closing the chuck being idle during the rotation of the chuck and during the movement of the cutter, and the mechanism for rotating the chuckand for moving the cutter being idle while the blanks are being supplied and while the chuck is beingopened and closed. The mechanism enibodying the present invention is adapted to operate alternately these two mechanisms or sets of devices.

As shown, thisv operating mechanism is arranged to be co cted with-Ia: drive shaft 7 (see Figs. 2 and- 3) extendingtransversely of and suitably journaled upon' -the machine provided at one end with a drive pulley 8.

For rotating the spindle 2 and for bodily moving the milling cutter, thefollowing devices are provided: A-; inion9 is loosely.

sleeved on the shaft and is adapted to be intermittently connected therewith for the purpose of driving'the spindle 2. Any suitable connection may be provided between the pinion and the spindle. Preferably however, means are provided for varying, the speed of the spindle with relation to the driving shaft to facilitate milling blanks of different sizes. To this end agear 10 meshingwith the pinion 9 is mounted on an arm 11 concentrically supported with relation to the shaft 7 and provided with a clamp 12 (see Fig. 1) by which it may be secured'in various adjustments to enable the gear 10 to mesh with a ear 13 .of any desired size on a shaft 4 whlch is provided with a worm 15 meshing with a Worm wheel 16 fixed on the spindle 2. By substituting for the gear 13 other gears of difl'erent sizes, the speed of: the spindle may be varied.

For operating the supplying means and for operating the chuck to open and close it, the following devices are provided: A shaft 17 (see Figs. 2 and 3), is suitably journaled above the frame plate in alinement with the drive shaft 7, and a worm 18 is fixed on the shaft 17. There is provided a longitudinal shaft 20 upon which are mounted suitable cams and-a worm wheel 19 arranged to mesh with the worm 18.

Any suitable means may be'provided for intermittently and alternately connecting the drive shaft with the respective actuating means of the alternately operating sets of mechanisms. In the illustrated embodiment a double acting clutch member 21 is splined or pins '25 adapted to project into a pe-.

ripheral groove or channeLin the clutch member 21, and whereby the latter is shifted upon the shaft 7 to effect its 'alternateengagement with one or another of the clutch members 22 and 22. Also fast on the rock shaft 23 is a shaft actuator 26 provided on its inner edge with two notches or depressions 26 and 26". Arranged in juxtaposition to the shaft actuator 26 and suitably fulcrumed on the top plate of the machine is a rocker member 27 formed with radiating upwardly and downwardly extending arms 28 and 29, and bored centrally to provide a chamber within which a plunger 30 and a push spring 31 are housed. To retain this spring 31 within the bore, a screw plug 32 is provided, as shown in Fig. 4. The plunger 30 is adapted tobe seated by its spring in one or another of the notches or de ressions in the shaft actuator 26.

n the embodiment illustrated the actuation of the rocker member 27 alternately in opposite directions is effected by parts re- :pectively connected with the spindle 2 and e shaft 20. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, said spindle and shaft are provided, respec f tively, with rocker-shifting cam members1j33 and '34, which engage alternately with the" arms 28 and 29 of the rocker member 27 and ro'ck'the'same to position the plunger 30 in one or the other of the notches in the shaft actuator 26. The strength of the spring'31,

pressing against the plunger 30, sufficient to move the shaft actuator 26, when released,

as presently explained, and thi 's in turn fixed on the .shaft and set into operation.

rocks the shaft 23 to shift the clutch member 21 into engagement with one or the other of the clutch members 22 and 22 for connecting and disconnecting the shafts 14 and 17 with the drive shaft 7.

To render positive and to time with accuracy the actuations of the clutch mechanism the rock shaft is temporarily held in the position to which it may have been moved by the rocker member 27, and then released at the proper instant. To this end the rock shaft 23 is provided with upwardly and downwardly extending catch arms 35 and 36, adapted to be alternately engaged respectively by latches 37 Y and 38. These "latches are fulcrumed intermediate their ends and are normally forced toward the clutch arms by a spring 39 connected at their outer ends. When the shaft actuator is operated by the plunger 30 to rock the shaft 23, the catch arms 35' and 36 will be moved so that one or the other will be engaged by the hooked end of its respective latch 37 or 38. The catches are operated to release the clutch actuator at predetermined points in the rotation of the actuating spindles or shafts 2 and 20. As shown, the spindle 2 is provided with a disk 40 carrying on its periphery a trip 41, adapted to operate the catch 37, and the shaft 20 is similarlyprovided with a disk 42 arranged in vertical alinement with the disk 40 and provided with a trip 43 adapted to operate the catch 38.

7 As the parts are shown in Fig. 4, the shaft 20-with its disk 42 is being rotated in the direction of the arrow, andthe trip 43 is about to operate the catch 38. When this occurs, the rock shaft23 will be released and-moved by the springplunger 30, which. is now acting at the lower end of the actuator 26, and thus disengage the clutch 21 from the clutch 22 and engage it, with the clutch 22. The actuating means comprising the shafts 17 and 20.will thus be disconnected from the drive. shaft, and the actuating means comprising the shaft 14 and the spindle 2 will be connected with the drive As the ,disk 40, which is connected with the spindle 2, begins its rotation, the trip' '41 moves idly past the catch 37 and then the cam33 will engage the arm 28 and move the rock memberv 27 so that the plunger 30 thereof will engage the recess 26 in the shaft actuator 26.- By the time this occurs, however, the catch arm'35 will be held by the catch 37 so that the clutch 21 will remain in engagementflvith theclutch 22. The cam 33 will therefore pass the arm 28, and the spindle 2 willcontinue to rotate until it has made a full revolution. The trip 41 will then operate th'e catch 37 and release the arm 35,

whereupon thespring plunger 30 will rock the shaft 23 and disconnect the clutch 21 from the clutch 22 and -rengage it with the clutch 22 The actuating means comprising the shafts 17 and 20 will then be again connected with the driving shaft and will are preferably driven from the same shaft14 which drives the spindle 2. For moving the cutter longitudinally of the blank and of the spindle, there is provided mechanism which includes the spiral gears 44 and 45, the spur gears .46, 47 and 48, the worm 49, the worm wheel 50 and the vertical shaft 51.

The mechanism for moving the milling cutter toward and away from the blank to effect relieving includes the worm 52 on the shaft 14 and the worm wheel 53 on the longitudinal shaft 54. The details of these mechanisms are fully set forth in my copending application and need not be here described! From the foregoing description it will be clear that I have provided a mechanism which includes, in combination, a driving element such as the shaft 7 and two inde-pend ent driven elements such as the spindle 2 and the shaft 20; and the clutch 21 with the parts associated therewith constitutes means adapted to be operated by each of the driven elements after a predetermined movement to disconnect the said element from the driving element and to connect the other driven element with the driving element.

What I claim is:

-1. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements. power transmitting connections interposed between the driving element and the respective drii'en elements, each serving to automatically stop the corresponding driven element after movement thereof to a predetermlned extent,

and means operated by each driven element after movement to a predetermined extent for automatically connecting the other driven element with the driving element.

2. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, power transmitting connections interposed between the driving element and the respective driven elements, each serving to automatically stop the corresponding driven clement after movement thereof to a predetermined extent, and adjustable means operated by each driven element after movement to any predetermined extent for automatically connecting the other driven element with the drivin element.

3. T e combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, and means operated by each driven element after movement to a predetermined extent for automatically disconnecting the said element from the driving element and connecting the other driven element with the driving element.

4. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, means operated by one driven element after movement to a predetermined position for automatically disconnecting the said element from the driving element and connecting the second driven element with the driving element, and means. operated by the second driven element after movement to a predetermined position for automatically disconnecting the said element from the driving element and connecting the first driven element with the driving element.

5. The combination of a driving element,

two independent driven elements, clutching mechanism interposed between the driving element and the respective driven elements and serving to automatically stop the said elements alternately after the movement of each of them to a predetermined extent, and means operated by each driven element after movement to a predetermined extent for automatically engaging the clutching mechanism I to connect the other driven element with the driving element.

6. The combination of a driving shaft,'

two independent driven shafts, and clutching mechanism operated by each driven shaft after rotation to-a predetermined extent for automatically disconnecting the said shaft from the driving shaft and connecting the other driven shaft with the driving shaft.

7. The combination of a driving shaft, two

independent driven shafts, and clutching mechanism operated by each driven shaft after rotation through one revolution for auton'latically disconnecting the said shaft from the drivingtshaftand connecting the other driven shaft with the driving shaft.

8. The combination of a driving shaft, two independent driven shafts, and a single clutch element operated by each driven shaft after rotation to a predeterminedextent for automatically disconnecting the said shaft from the driving shaft and connecting the other driven shaft with the driving shaft.

9. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, means for connecting either driven element with the driving element and for simultaneously disconnecting the other driVen elementfrom the driving element, and inde )endent devices actuated by the res ective riven elements for moving the sai means to connect and disconnect the said drivenelements alternately. 10. The combination of a driving ele ment, two independent driven elements,

, tivel means operated by each driven element after movement to a predetermined extent for automatically disconnecting it from the driving element and for connecting the other driven element. with the driving. element, and means whereby the speed of one driven element may be changed independently of the driving element and without changing the extent of the aforesaid predetermined movement.

11. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, means including a rocker member for connecting either driven element with the driving element and for simultaneously disconnecting the other driven element from the driving element, and devices actuated by the driven elements respectively for alternately engaging the rocker member to move it first in one direction and then in the other.

12. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, means including a rock shaft and an actuator carried thereby for connecting either driven element with the driving element and for simultaneously disconnecting the other driven element from the driving element, a rocker member carrying a spring plunger adapted to engage the actuator and rock the shaft in either direction according to the position of the member, and devices actuated by the driven elements respecfor alternately engaging the rocker mem er to move it first in one direction and then in the other.

13. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, power transmitting mechanisms respectively adapted to connect the driven elements with the driving element, an operating device automatically moved alternately by the driven elements, the said device tending to causefirst one and then the other of the transmitting mechanisms to be operative, and means associated with the operating device and actuated alternately by the driven elements for releasing the said device to permit it to render operative first one and then the other of the transmitting mechanisms.

14. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, means for connecting either driven element with the driving element and for simultaneously disconnecting the other driven ele-" ment from the driving element, mechanism actuated by the driven elements alternately for tending to move the connecting means first to one o erative position and then to the other, an said mechanism and actuated respectively by the driven elements to release the condevices supplemental to the necting means for movement first to one position and then to the other under the influence of the said mechanism.

15. The combination of a" driving element, two independent driven elements, means for connecting either driven element with the driving element and for simultaneously disconnecting the other driven element from the driving element, mechanism actuated by the driven elements alternately and including a rocker member and a spring plunger carried thereby for tending to move the connecting means first to one operative position and then to the other, and devices supplemental to the rocker member and plunger and actuated respectively by the driven elements to release the connecting means for movement first to one position and then to the other under the influence of the plunger.

16. The combination of a driving element, two independent driven elements, means for connecting either driven element with the driving element and for simul taneously disconnecting the other driven element from the driving element, mechanism actuated by the driven elements alternately for tending to move the connecting means first to one operative position and then to the other, and devices supplemental to the said mechanism and actuated respectively by the driven elements to release the 'connectlng means for movement first to one position and then to the other under the influence of the said mechanism, the

said devices bein adjustable to vary the time of release 0 the connecting means.

' 17. The combination of a driving shaft, two independent driven shafts, a' clutch for connecting either driven shaft with the driving shaft and for simultaneously disconnecting the other driven shaft from the driving shaft, a rocker member,- a spring plunger carried thereby, a rock shaft for moving the clutch, an actuator carried by the rock shaft and adapted to be moved in one direction or the other according to the position of the rocker member, cam mem bers carried respectively by the driven shafts and adapted to engage the rocker member to move itfirst in one direction and then in the other, whereby the plunger tends to move therock shaft and the clutch first to one operative position and then to the other, and trip device s supplemental to signature.

- FRIEDERIOH MULLER. 

